Listening to Silence
by Hope E. Kay
Summary: Once upon a time, the lived a great King and Queen who wanted nothing more than to have a child. But when their daughter is born, her voice is stolen away by a mysterious, fickle witch. Forced to be a reclusive princess by an ashamed father, she tries desperately to prove she can be capable and find the one thing that has always eluded her, love.
1. Chapter 1

Once upon a time, there lived a great King who ruled over a great land. He took the throne at a young age causing many people to be nervous from his reckless ambition. However to their surprise he proved to be an exceptional and competent leader. Though many people thought it was unwise, he led his armies in a grand crusade against a terrible enemy. As his reign went on, his leadership brought his people out of a long period of strife. But, like most Kings, he grew lonely. So, he set out on a quest to find her. And find her he did.

She was a maiden of simple means and tastes but still dreamed of better things. The people of the kingdom agreed she was kind and sweet to all those around her. Her loveliness was great but could be surpassed if one searched far enough. But the good King saw her as the most beautiful as their temperaments meshed together perfectly. The soon-to-be-bride had many talents in spinning and embroidery. But her greatest talent was her singing. When the young maiden sang even a simple tune, all the birds in the trees stopped their caroling to listen. Rumor had it that after hearing her beautiful dulcet tones, the birds would try to mimic her ballads.

The young pair was married with the utmost speed and the whole kingdom rejoiced with them. The streets were filled with people dancing and praising the King and his new Queen. The land prospered for many years under their rule. The two barely spent any time apart, spending the days picnicking in the royal gardens and attending fanciful balls each night. The King and Queen were kind and charitable to all their subjects, rich and poor, old and young. The Queen especially cared for the younger population and desperately wished to raise a child of her own.

Unfortunately, the years passed, the King and Queen grew older and the wish of the fair Queen was not granted. Desperate, she went to her beloved in his study one night.

"Darling, you know that I am very pleased to be with you. Yet I am unhappy."

"What is it that troubles you, my love? Please tell me and I will do my best to assist you." the sagacious King asked his wife.

"I love you, my King. But I wish to share that love with another. I wish to have a child," she told him.

The great King sighed and pushed away the latest proclamation that had appeared on his desk. He as well wanted to raise a child and had become increasingly frustrated with their lack of success. "That is my wish as well."

"I do not understand why we have been so unlucky in this endeavor. Do you blame me?" the kindhearted Queen questioned, lowering her eyes.

He came around his desk and kneeled in front of her. The King caught her chin and brought her eyes to meet his. "Only if you blame me in return. We share the responsibility in this."

"What should we do?" The King sadly shook his head. "We could go to her…"

He continued to shake his head. "No." The Queen looked at her husband curiously. He tried to explain. "I have heard…varied stories. I cannot say if we can trust her."

"Please. We must try. I feel desperate," the Queen begged her King.

The King considered their options. He did not relish the idea of going to the unpredictable Witch but his wife was correct. They were out of options if they wished to have a child of their own. "May I propose," he offered, "that we continue on our own for one month. Give me time to learn about her. If we do not conceive by then, we will go to her."

The Queen nodded after a moment, satisfied.

* * *

**Hey guys, I'm back! Just a little info about this: The idea for this appeared, literally, out of no where resulting in an all-nighter of typing up 16 pages for an intro. I've been reading a lot of Grimm fairy tales and I tried to model it after them. I'm not really sure if I want to continue with this yet, but I thought I'd put it out there to see what people thought of it. I know this part is short and nothing much has happened yet but the rest is coming so please keep an open mind and let me know what you think! As always, thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Days went by and the King and Queen continued their pursuit for a child. As the end of the month approached, the King began to gather all the information he could about the Witch. He followed all stories of her good deeds and especially the tales of her deception. His Queen and kingdom had to be safe before he would go to the Witch for help. Rumors circulated of how high her prices could be. But indeed, the Witch was fickle. Sometimes she would ask for nothing, a spare coin or two, and at other times it could be outrageous. The King was understandably wary about going to her.

But one month had passed and still the Queen was not with child. True to his word, the King agreed to go to the Witch. Under the cover of night, the couple traveled to the secluded cabin hiding in the woods. They slowed as they approached the door and exchanged a glance. The Queen nervously pulled her dark cloak tighter around her shoulders. The King took hold of her hand and the Queen nodded to confirm their decision. Silently, the King raised his hand to knock on the wooden barrier. Before his hand could connect with the door, it opened inward causing them to jump involuntarily.

The Witch's dark eyes stared at them from beneath a mass of matching black hair. "I was wondering when you would arrive," she said with a vulpine grin. She stepped away from the door, pulling a ribbon loose from her skirts. Tying back her hair with it, she turned back to where the royals still stood. "Well, come in."

The King and Queen entered the cabin together. Three dogs with huge eyes, one with golden fur, one with silver gray and the last with russet brown, watched them disconcertingly from a worn couch in the corner as the royals moved through the cabin. The Queen tried not to stare at the strange odds and ends within the small, strange home. The King kept his eyes locked on the Witch, convinced she was planning something. How else would she know they were coming? The Witch sat down at a small table by the fire. She motioned to two roughly made chairs. "Please."

The King and Queen glanced at each other before taking the offered seats. The Witch put her elbows on the table with her hands underneath her chin, fingers laced. She matched the King's stare with her eyebrow cocked. The staring match went on for some time before the Queen interrupted.

"Stop it, you two," she said, halting their unspoken challenges.

"Shh. I'm enjoying this," the Witch, quieting her.

The King's eyebrows furrowed into a deeper glare. He did not trust this woman at all. "You know why we are here."

"I do. And I'm waiting."

The King slammed his fist on the table. The Queen grabbed his arm to keep him from standing, knowing he resorted to anger too quickly. The royal woman gave the Witch a scolding look.

"Fine!" The Witch left the table and went into one the back rooms. The royal couple heard her rummage around for a few minutes, humming to herself. While they waited for her to return, the dog with the copper fur came and sat beside the Queen, wanting to be petted. The golden one appeared beside the King and just stared at him with his huge dark eyes. The King quickly became self-conscious under their gaze.

Looking anywhere but those eyes, he noted how everything in her home was worn and seemed like a collection of antiques pushed far beyond their breaking point. There was nothing to show she had money of any kind. To his wife he murmured "How can she afford to feed all these dogs?"

"They feed themselves," the Witch answered, emerging from the back room holding a large bowl with various herbs in jars waiting to be measured. Taking a bone still red with meat from the bowl, she threw it toward the King. The golden dog snapped his jaws just in front of the King, catching the bone. The Witch moved to kneel in front of the fire and stoked the flames. The golden dog padded eagerly to her side to show off his catch. The Witch rubbed her familiar's head saying "Very good catch, Oro. Very good." The hound wagged his tail happily and returned to the gray dog that remained laying on the ratted couch. The Witch continued to hum her nonsense song and laid out her meadowsweet. She began measuring out materials a mixed them in the bowl. The gaze of the golden dog had finally gotten to the King and he began to pace.

The Witch hung the bowl over the fire to let the herbs simmer. She took up some pieces of pine wood and formed them into a little poppet. With steady fingers, she weaved in strands of dill into the doll.

"What's that for?" the Queen asked, curious.

"Dill is known to provide protection. For children specifically."

"So, you admit there are dangers," the King said, frustrated.

"It's just a precaution. Don't you want the child to be protected?"

"Please, ignore him. He's just anxious," the Queen defended the King's words.

"No," the Witch hissed sarcastically.


	3. Chapter 3

The bowl in the fire sizzled, capturing all of their attention.

"Oh, Queenie, dear," the Witch said, her voice keeping the tune of her hummed song. She reached to her hair and twirled it around her fingers. "I need a bird."

The Queen bit her lip. With a deep breath, she stood and went to one of the many cages to choose one of the trapped animals. The cage erupted in sound when she opened the cage door. It was as though they knew what was coming. Closing her eyes, she reached in and picked a fowl at random. She opened them to find she had pulled out the dove, her favorite. The Queen went to kneel beside the Witch with the bird caught in her hands. The Witch finished the pine doll, setting it down in front of the Queen's knees. She reached into some nearby sewing that looked as though it had not been touched in years and pulled out a long, thin needle. Taking the bird from the royal lady, the Witch silently offered the needle to the Queen.

"You know you have to," the Witch said plainly at the Queen's hesitation.

The Queen took the needle murmuring "Take a life to give a life."

"You did learn something," the Witch gasped mockingly. The dove fidgeted in the Witch's hands, cooing unhappily. The Witch adjusted her grip and managed to calm the bird at the same time. The Queen prepared herself for what she had to do.

"We have not discussed your price," the King pointed out, stopping his wife.

The Witch brushed away his comment. "We can discuss that later."

"What is it you want for doing this? The kingdom?"

The Witch looked over her shoulder at him, her dark eyes glowing. "Why would I want that?"

"Then, what is your price?" he said, trying to curb his anger. He was tiring of her cryptic responses.

"You do not need to worry about it," the Witch explained, returning to the dove. "It won't be anything extreme. It will be something you can live without. And you don't need to worry about paying now. I must be sure you have what you want first. I will come to collect it when the child is in your arms."

The royal couple exchanged looks. "How will you know?" the Queen asked.

Without looking away from the bird, the Witch replied, "You seem like you need a pet. Aggie has just given birth to a new litter. Might I suggest the runt?"

The King looked at the dogs on the couch and the stared back unblinkingly. The silver dog was lying on her side, guarding two small puppies that matched the golden and silver adults exactly. The king was hesitant to approach the dogs and compared the pups from a distance.

"They are the same size."

The Witch annoyingly looked over her shoulder at the King. She scrutinized the King narrowly. "Look closer."

The King rolled his eyes. Swallowing his discomfort, he kneeled down to get closer to the animals. He stared at the two puppies and they stared back with new eyes. He still did not notice any difference in their size. He became frustrated thinking the Witch was purposely trying to confound him. Suddenly, he felt a tugging on the end of his cloak accompanied by a miniature growl. The King turned around and spied a tiny pup playing with the loose ends of his cape. Completing the threesome, the puppy's fur copied the copper color of the third adult dog. Even without comparing it to the other puppies, he could tell that it was the smallest of the three. The King picked up the miniscule dog and held it in front of his face. The young dog licked the King happily.

"Why are you giving us the dog?"

The Witch sighed, still waiting for the Queen to act. "You know it's going to lose its potency," she pointed out, annoyed, before moving to the King's question. "Because, as you said, I cannot afford to take care of so many dogs. So I figured, why not send him to a good home. Give him a warm bed, a decent meal every once and a while, do whatever you feel is right. He will be a very loyal dog to you. And, as an added bonus, whenever you go into labor," she pointed to the Queen, "he will come and fetch me. It's that simple."

The King looked at the puppy and the dog licked him again. The Queen chuckled quietly. The royals met each other's eyes and came to a final decision. The Queen took a deep breath and shifted her grip on the thin needle. The Witch stared at the Queen with eyes that said 'are we finally going to do this'. The Queen answered with resolute seriousness in her face and quickly and smoothly pierced the dove's heart with the needle. The bird shrieked and went limp in the Witch's hands. Blood dripped from the needle sticking out from the back onto the heart of the pine doll on the floor in front of the women. The Witch set the dove off to the side and pulled off a few feathers that she weaved into the doll as well.

"Focus on your wish," the Witch murmured and threw the doll into the bowl of simmering ingredients. The mixture popped and began to smoke. The Witch added lemon, saffron, ginseng, and quite a few other ingredients the King did not recognize into the bowl. The Queen left the fireside and returned to the rough chair she had originally been sitting on. The King went to her side and took hold of her shaking hand. Everyone in the small cabin focused on the smoldering pot in the fire place. The Witch worked in silence, the royal couple not daring to disturb her. They waited quickly losing track of the time. It could have only been a few minutes, but it still would have felt like hours to them. Eventually, the smoke coming from the pot began to lessen and the Witch poured the mixture into a strainer. After pouring it through the sieve nine times, she poured the thoroughly dried mix into a small green pouch. She handed the pouch to the Queen.

"That's it?" the King asked.

The Witch nodded. "You both have to take some. A pinch before bed every night until it runs out. I suggest mixing it in with some tea or something because I have no idea what it tastes like. And keep doing what you're doing. It won't work without that."

"Thank you," the Queen whispered sincerely. The Witch nodded and met the King's eyes.

"I will thank you when it works."

"Fair enough," the Witch granted. "Now I expect you're anxious, so go."

She waved them out of her hovel and watched as the royal couple disappeared into the night, without looking back.

"Well that was fun."

The golden dog that appeared at her side nodded once in agreement.


	4. Chapter 4

The King and Queen returned home and found themselves facing each other in their bed chambers, the pouch containing the mysterious mixture between them. The copper dog happily bounded around their feet. The Queen took a deep breath and untied the strings holding the pouch closed. She waited for the King to move first, the signal that he had accepted what they had to do. Moving quickly so he could not change his mind, he reached in the bag, pulled out a pinch and sprinkled it into his cup. They watched it dissolve in the water, turning the liquid brown. The Queen followed his lead, watching her own drink turn brown. The royals met each other's eyes and raised their glasses in unison.

"For our child." They toasted and drank.

Within a week of their mysterious midnight visit to the woman in the woods, the Queen came to her King, the puppy faithfully trailing at her heels. The mixture from the Witch had run out the night before. _And still there had been no change_, the King thought to himself. The copper dog bounded over to the King and excitedly looked up at him. The King reached down and scratched behind the pup's ears. He had to admit he enjoyed having the dog around. He looked up at his wife from his desk. She had a strange look he could not read on her face.

"What is it, my love?"

She smiled at him. "I'm pregnant."

The King froze. "Truly?"

She nodded, caressing her stomach. He came around the desk and the couple embraced, ecstatic

The next nine months were filled with happiness and bliss for the couple. The time passed quickly, preparing for the baby. Doctor's visits became a regular occurrence, the King being very concerned about the Queen as any first time father would be. Midwives were found as soon as the Queen's stomach began to grow. A grand room was furnished at the top of the tower for the baby with connecting apartments for the King, Queen and nursemaids to stay while the child was too young to be left on its own. Nine months passed by quickly and now it was a waiting game. Waiting for the moment when the baby decided it was ready.

The King entered the tower bedchambers after another day of waiting. The only advantage was it gave the crafter time to finish the project the King had requested. He could not wait to show it to the Queen. He found his Queen stroking her pregnant belly, humming her lullaby softly to it. The copper dog, that had grown thrice its normal size, was lounging beside her on the bed.

"I have a gift to show you."

She looked curiously at him. With a smile, he presented an ornate music box. It was a circular and had a detailed golden pattern on the outer edge. The lid had the look of a crown and needed a key to unlock and open. The key also served to wind the mechanism. The King wound up the music box and it played the melody the Queen's soft melody. The Queen smiled contentedly.

"The child will love it," she praised the King's gift.

"It will be played for them every night as they sleep."

"Rather than me singing?"

"For the nights when you are tired," he explained. Suddenly, the Queen gasped and the puppy sat up quickly. "Are you alright?"

"It's kicking. Quick, give me your hand." She placed the King's hand under hers so he could feel the faint bump underneath her skin. Luckily, the baby was compliant and pushed at the place where its parents' hands waited. The King smiled, amazed at the sign of life inside his love. He caught her in a kiss and the baby kicked again. The Queen gasped again, this time in pain. The King backed away concerned. Breathlessly, she told him, "I think it's time."

The dog jumped off the bed and took off out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

"Now?" She nodded vigorously and the King rushed to the door to call for the doctor and midwives. The room quickly became swarmed with people to help the Queen. The King knew he would only be in the way and left the chamber. He waited impatiently in the hallway accompanied by his manservant, who tried to offer some comfort.

"Everything will be all right, sire," the manservant told him. The manservant was an exceptionally clean man who was perfectly suited for his job, obsessively making sure everything was in its place and taking care of every last detail. He stood out of the way of the King, gloved hands behind his back. The manservant had been made aware of the royals dealings with the Witch. It had been unavoidable with the sudden addition of having a cup of water at the end of the day to their schedules.

"You really think so?" the King asked anxiously.

"Yes. They are well prepared."

The labor continued on and the sounds of pain from the Queen intensified. The King began pace back and forth in front of the door. Another hour passed and the Queen let out one final scream. Then, the sound of a baby crying came from the room. The King froze staring at the door. A few more minutes passed before the door was opened by one of the nursemaids.

"Sire, you have a beautiful, healthy daughter." The King let out a sigh of relief and in an uncharacteristic moment, the manservant put a congratulatory hand on the King's shoulder.

The Doctor appeared beside the nursemaid, calling her back into the room. To the King, he inopportunely said "There is a problem."

The King pushed his way into the room. It was not a pleasant situation. The nursemaids were desperately trying to clean up the Queen but were not succeeding. The one who had come to the door was holding the new princess, trying to comfort her. The Queen looked to be in so much pain.

"We cannot stop the bleeding. There is nothing we can do," the doctor admitted regrettably. With one sentence, the happiest moment of his life turned into the saddest.

"Nothing?" he said, in shock.

"I am sorry."

"Then, leave us," the King ordered. The nursemaids did their best to make the Queen comfortable before leaving the room, tears appearing in their eyes. The doctor bowed his head and followed the ladies out of the room. Only the nursemaid who was still carrying the new princess, who had finally ceased screaming, and the manservant remained in the room. The King slowly approached the bed took hold of his queen's hand.

"Please…Don't go," he whispered to her. The Queen had become very pale and her breathing very labored. "Please stay with me."

"I—I can't…" she told him breathlessly. The King squeezed his eyes closed. But the Queen saw what he was trying to hide. "Don't be angry."

"You know I can't help it," he admitted.

"Try." The Queen caressed his face. "I love you."

The King could not say anything, a silence the Queen understood. He pressed her hand to his lips.

"The baby…" she questioned.

The King sniffed and wiped his eyes. The nursemaid knowingly stepped forward and presented the child. "She's right here."

"Is she…"

The nursemaid passed the princess to the King and he realized he had not truly looked at her yet. Her small head was topped with little dark ringlets and she had dark chocolate eyes to match her mother's. Her face was still red from crying but she quickly nestled into the King's arms. The nursemaid, noticing the child was content in her father's arms, quickly left the room before she began crying.

"She is perfect," the King told the dying Queen. "Beautiful, just like her mother."

The Queen smiled weakly. "Remember to play the music box for her."

"Every night." The Queen closed her heavy eyelids. "Wait." The King begged, calling her back. "It is a girl. As we agreed, you have to name her."

The Queen tiredly opened her eyes. Her eyes drifted to their child who was curled up in the King's arms. She reached out and brushed her fingers against the baby's soft skin, catching a lasting tear. Their eyes connected and the Queen whispered the princess' name with her last breath.


End file.
